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6 Easy Hacks To Overcome Workout Laziness

Having low energy or being unmotivated before a workout, or even just at the thought of working out is more common than you would think. It happens to even the most dedicated and experienced fitness buffs out there. However, one thing that sets those who set resolutions or goals and never achieve them from those who actually do is their ability to master their emotions under harsh circumstances.

Athletes and trainers alike understand that training or working out is just as much a mental exercise as it is a physical one.

Now, let’s explore 6 easy and simple hacks that will help put you in workout mode, and will keep you in it as well:

Set the tune

A lot of research is done on music and physical exercise — all of them indicating at least some kind of positive correlation. As a leading expert on the relationship between exercise and music, Costas Karageorghis, would put it, “music is a legal performance-enhancing drug for exercise.”

Marcelo Bigliassi did a study by using electroencephalography (EEG), and found that music helps with fatigue and gives better mental alertness. This same finding applies to your brain when listening to upbeat music pre-workout. High tempo music lowers sluggishness and elevates mood.

Fitrep trainer, Aubrey Munno, reveals how she motivates herself, “When laziness outweighs my motivation to exercise, I start by practicing gratitude: for my healthy body, the ability to move, and the luxury to have everything I need in life. I follow that with a living room dance party to some super fun, upbeat music (cue MJ).”

Naps are underrated

If you are low on energy or have hit the 4 pm wall, a power nap can be a useful pre-workout. The sluggishness before a workout is normal and that usually results after a hectic day.

A power nap can help you to fix the mental fatigue. More like resetting your brain for better functioning and help you get the focus. You don’t necessarily have to force yourself to sleep. A power nap can range from 10-20 minutes. Set an alarm, close your eyes, and clear your mind.

Dress for success

Your low energy can help your buyer’s remorse when you step out of a Lululemon or RYU store.‘Enclothed cognition’ is the term used by sports psychologists when certain clothes give you a mental shift to perform better. Other than looking good, activewear also motivates you to workout.

“Confidence is half the battle and having workout gear that highlights your hard work really helps motivate you to get your sweat on,” said Alex Hanson, co-founder of Barbell Apparel. A Barbell Apparel study shows that almost 9 out of 10 gym-goers put on their gym wear for motivation and actually go when they are not feeling up to it.

Words can inspire

All our actions are inspired or influenced by someone or something. An effective influence could come from someone whom you respect, or from a story you’ve come across.

All top athletes use positive self-talk. It is a difficult skill developed by athletes during their career. Positive self-talk before the performance helps with anxiety and makes the athlete visualize success.

To get started on learning how to get inspired by words, look for motivational speeches and quotes by the most successful people in the world. Their words will inspire you to take action. More like positive self-talk, but coming from someone who you know has reached the top. Here is one by Arnold.

Coffee: best pre-workout

Squeezing workout in your busy schedule is already hard, saving energy for that workout can be even harder. One of the major reasons is mental fatigue. To counter fatigue, caffeine is one of the best legal ergogenic aid for endurance, delaying fatigue and exhaustion, according to research.

No matter what workout you do, cardio or strength training, caffeine proves to work for both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Caffeine doesn’t just make you alert, but also improves physical performance.

Next time, if you’re feeling unmotivated before a workout, brew a cup, or grab one on your way to the gym. By the time the caffeine kicks in, you will be all set to workout.

Pre-Workout hydration

Have you ever heard about drinking 8 glasses of water every day? Well, there is lots of wisdom behind it. Most of our daily energy is gone through water loss, and we don’t tend to refill. Hence, it affects our mood and motivation towards the daily tasks.

Pre-workout hydration is crucial for the energy levels before and during the workout. Body temperature and heart rate will go up faster on a dehydrated body, which may lead to heat stroke.

Leading scientist Lawrence E. Armstrong, says “Our thirst sensation doesn’t really appear until we are 1 [percent] or 2 percent dehydrated. By then, dehydration is already setting in and starting to impact how our mind and body perform.”

The best way to test hydration is checking the colour of your urine. The lighter the colour, the more hydrated you are. Make sure you are hydrated at least half an hour before you start working out.